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Old 03-27-2019, 02:04 PM   #1
CP241
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Default Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

We all love taking on a project golf cart, something given up on, forgotten about, and left for dead in the bushes, under a tree, or out in the middle of a pasture. There's always cracks, holes drilled in it for switches, lights, etc. that need to be fixed so you can bring it back to life.

I'm sure everybody has their own methods for this, but here is how I do it. This was an ez-go I bought a while back, it was UGLY. flat black rattlebomb, with red and blue rattlebomb jobs showing through where the flat black had flaked off, and somewhere deep under all of that was (at one point) a really nice black cherry metallic flake paint job that had gone south over the years.

This one was in pretty good shape overall, but there was a jagged hole from I don't know what in the panel in front of the seat. It had to go...

Tools I used:
Drill
Uni-bit (Step bit)
$3 soldering iron from Harbor Freight
Chisel tip
Spot Putty
Primer
Paint
Sander/sand paper

I first drilled it out with a uni-bit. Then using a spare piece of ABS plastic (I have a ton of the stuff laying around, but you could use any type of thick plastic from old body, mud flaps, etc.)

I then used a hole saw, sized to the outside diameter of the hole I had just drilled the best I could, and cut a plug for the hole.
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Old 03-27-2019, 02:10 PM   #2
CP241
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

Then, use the soldering iron to melt/mix/smoosh the plug plastic in with the body plastic. Do this outside or in a well ventilated area, the gases released from melting plastic are toxic.

Take your time, I insert the chisel tip 2/3 of the way into the plastic, at about a 45 degree angle, with half of it on the plug and half of it on the body. Then pull it out, and go just a bit below it so the next plunge 2/3 of the way in will smoosh this plastic in with the previous plunge. Take your time, repeat all the way around the hole until it's all stitched together.

Then I used some plastic to "fill" a lot of the voids/irregularities in the top of the plug, and melt it all around to make it as smooth as possible.

Sand the top of it with a D/A sander to level it all out. Blow it out with compressed air, and then use a little spot putty to fill in whatever holes are left.

Spray on some primer, and then paint. Once it's done, you'll never be able to tell it was there




I'm sure I may have missed a few details, but if any questions you're welcome to ask :)
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Old 03-27-2019, 02:12 PM   #3
CP241
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

And once finished, you can't even tell there was a jagged little hole there to begin with. And a pic of how the cart was when I got it for before/after...



(Just to note, the nut on the choke cable was rusted REALLY badly and I couldn't get the housing off to paint without breaking it, so I just taped it off and left it there.
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Old 03-27-2019, 02:19 PM   #4
kgsc
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

Nice write up!! You are much more dedicated than I am. I would have just replaced it
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Old 03-27-2019, 02:25 PM   #5
NCPW
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

Very nice write up!

That color blue looks awesome
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Old 03-27-2019, 02:25 PM   #6
CP241
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

lol

Just to add, the same thing can be done to fix cracks in fenders (or car bumpers for that matter) as well. Just hold the 2 parts together where the crack is, and do the same type of plastic stitching with the chisel tip. Once it cools (in a few seconds) it's as strong of a bond as it was when it was molded at the factory. Just have to smooth it out and make it pretty :)
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Old 03-27-2019, 02:41 PM   #7
CP241
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by NCPW View Post
Very nice write up!

That color blue looks awesome
Thanks. It's actually black base coat with blue-green flip pearl in the clear coat, with regular clear on top of that. That cart is long gone onto a new home now, this was less about that cart but more about the fix. Every time I buy a project it seems to have cracks and holes lol
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Old 03-27-2019, 05:49 PM   #8
Brob1969
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

Thanks for sharing this.
I will add it to the bag of tricks!
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Old 03-27-2019, 06:54 PM   #9
CP241
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

Heres a couple pics when I got my carryall. front cowl had about a 6" crack above the headlight. Little different, but same basic principle to fix that. I ended up replacing the cowl because it had a big warp I couldn't 100% get out (you can kinda see how the passenger headlight is a little angled) that bugged me, but the crack looked 1000% better :)
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Old 03-31-2019, 02:46 AM   #10
Shepard
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Default Re: Darned holes in plastic golf cart bodies!!!

Great job. Like the idea of welding in the plastic plugs.
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